History Recap / TheSimpsonsS12E7TheGreatMoneyCaper

* {{Bowdlerization}}: Around the time Michael Jackson's death made the news, Channel 4 in the UK cut the part where Bart gets attacked by a street performer pretending to be Michael Jackson and The Jackson Five (specifically, by rigging 4 decoys to reenact his actions).
** The change was later reinstated following the renewed child sex abuse allegations against Jackson in the wake of ''Leaving Neverland'''s premiere.

* KangarooCourt: Groundskeeper Willie's trial gets him rapidly convicted on only circumstantial evidence, and the judge allows Willie to be nicknamed "Carjacker Willie". The trial was a sham to make Homer and Bart confess, [[ComedicSociopathy but for some reason]][[note]]In the original ending, Lisa realizes everyone forgot to tell him.[[/note]] Willie was the only person in court aside from Homer and Bart not told about this--he even shot Principal Skinner, who faked his death.

* {{Bowdlerization}}: Around the time Michael Jackson's death made the news, Channel 4 in the UK cut the part where Bart gets attacked by a street performer pretending to be The Jackson Five.

* KickTheDog: While most of Homer and Bart's cons are petty, trying to con Flanders using his dead wife was another level of low, to the point of potentially being a MoralEventHorizon.

* KickTheDog: While most of Homer and Bart's cons are petty, trying to con Flanders using his dead wife was another level of low. It could truly qualify as a moral event horizon.
** Homer abandoning Bart at the beginning of the episode; and being angry with him, just because he did not make enough money and rightfully called him for his assholery was ridiculously petty.

* TookALevelInJerkass: Homer and Bart are quite unsympathetic in this episode. While trying to get money to recover the car was at least an excuse, it is clear they are just doing it out of greed or plain cretinism, and they keep doing it after having repaired the car.

* GenreSavvy: Ned instantly catches on to the Simpson males' attempt at trapping him in a BiblesFromTheDead scam because he saw ''Film/PaperMoon'', in which the characters use it often.

* NeverMyFault: In the original ending, after the trail was revealed to be a setup to get Homer and Bart to confess, they ''still'' manage to dodge responsibility:

'''Grandpa:''' That's right! ''[coughs]''\\
* ProductDisplacement: Like with the case of Chanel in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS7E14ScenesFromTheClassStruggleInSpringfield Scenes From the Class Struggle In Springfield]]", it's okay for Homer to say the name of the bottle he mistook for chloroform, but it's not okay to actually show the logo, which is [[https://tv.getyarn.io/yarn-clip/e02eeff2-82a7-4f25-b755-7bd035568119 partially obscured by Homer's fingers]].

--> '''Announcer''': Folks, this is not part of the act. Please help her.

--> '''Homer''': A good son would come through for his dad!\\
'''Bart''': And a good dad wouldn't miss his son's little league games!\\
'''Homer''': I ''told'' you: I find them boring!

--> '''Bart''': And he said if we went to the cops, he'd come back for Maggie.\\
'''Marge''': ''(gasps)'' Oh dear, we don't want that!

-->'''Homer:''' Wait a minute, you're telling me the police force, the TV news, a courthouse full of people, and a popular entertainer had nothing better to do than to teach me and Bart a lesson?
-->'''Lisa:''' I know it seems farfetched, even insulting to your intelligence, but there's a simple and highly satisfying explanation. You see...
-->'''Otto:''' ''(interrupting)'' Hey everybody, surf's up!

--> '''Blue-haired lawyer''': Will you tell the court your whereabouts at the time of the carjacking?\\
'''Willie''': I was alone in me Unabomber-style shack. I had nothing to do with the carjacking.\\
'''Blue-haired lawyer''': Carjacking? Who said anything about a ''carjacking?'' (''audience murmurs'')\\
'''Willie''': But didn't ya just say-\\
'''Blue-haired lawyer''': I'll ask the question here, Carjacker Willie!"
* KangarooCourt: Groundskeeper Willie's trial gets him rapidly convicted on only circumstantial evidence, and the judge allows Willie to be nicknamed "Carjacker Willie". The trial was a sham to make Homer and Bart confess, [[ComedicSociopathy but for some reason]] Willie was the only person in court aside from Homer and Bart not told about this--he even shot Principal Skinner, who faked his death.

-->'''Marge:''' Why are you frosting that old throw pillow?
-->'''Homer:''' I could ask ''you'' the very same question.

--> '''Willie''': I was alone in me Unabomber-style shack.

-->'''Grandpa:''' Amateurs! ''[lights up]''
-->'''Homer:''' Dad?!
-->'''Grandpa:''' That's right!
-->'''Bart:''' You don't smoke a pipe.
-->'''Grandpa:''' That's right! ''[coughs]''

--> '''Wiggum''': I'll put you in the Rick James suite. It's "super-freaky".

* CreatorCameo: Showrunner Mike Scully plays the announcer at the magic show.

* GenreSavvy: Ned instantly catches on to the Simpson males' attempt at trapping him in a BiblesFromTheDead scam because he saw the movie ''Film/PaperMoon'', in which the characters use it often.

'''Blue-haired lawyer''': Carjacking? Who said anything about a ''carjacking?'' ''(audience murmurs)''\\

--> '''Marge''': Why are you frosting that old throw pillow?\\
'''Homer''': I could ask ''you'' the very same question.

* RiddleForTheAges: Why ''would'' so many people (including special guest star Edward Norton) go that far just to teach Homer and Bart a lesson?

* ShoutOut: In one grifting scheme, Homer poses as Creator/EdMcMahon and declares Abe the winner of $10,000,000 from "that Publisher's Clearing Dealie".

* KangarooCourt: Groundskeeper Willie's trial. Willie was the only person in court aside from Homer and Bart who didn't know the trial was a sham to make Homer and Bart confess. He even shot Principal Skinner, who faked his death.
** Also, the judge allows Willie to be nicknamed "Carjacker Willie", which obviously wouldn't be allowed in any normal trial.

* GenreSavvy: Ned instantly catches on to the Simpson males' BiblesFromTheDead scam because he saw the movie ''Film/PaperMoon'', in which the characters use it often.